Tag Archive: Nuclear Power Plants

Power plant outages are one of the leading causes of utility costs. In only one day, these outages can cause millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses. These outages are also made worse by the fact that they become more frequent and severe during certain times of year.

As summer approaches, energy usage is expected to dramatically increase throughout the country. This will inevitably place tremendous strain on the power grid, thereby placing a greater demand on power plants. This additional demand will increase the chance for unplanned outages, presenting a variety of issues.

Preparing for Summer

Companies operating nuclear power plants have certain procedures in place to meet the peak demand of summer. In order to prepare for heavy use, many times plants schedule maintenance and refueling outages during the spring season.

Plant managers are well aware that these shutdowns can be very expensive, since activities are brought to a standstill, halting all production, and temporarily freezing revenue.

The Nuclear Telescopic Outage Jib Crane

At American Crane, our expert and skilled personnel have decades of experience servicing nuclear power plants, fossil power plants, chemical processing plants, and DOE sites. Our team is specifically trained to provide crane and hoist support during planned outages.
Our Nuclear Telescopic Outage Jib Crane increases a plant’s material handling capacity to up to 10 tons and features full 360 degree rotation, telescoping boom, non-hydraulic design, and wash-down capability among many other features, helping to speed up shutdowns. This crane is also nuclear rated in order to ensure compliance with regulation 10CFR50 Appendix B for containment buildings.

Did you know that rocks, bananas, and even the human body contain natural radioactivity?

Many people simply do not know a lot about nuclear energy and nuclear power plants. That’s where the Nuclear Literacy Project comes in. They aim to educate the world about the positive aspects of nuclear energy and promote the facts about nuclear waste and radiation. Did you know that nuclear energy is also the largest source of carbon free electricity in America? One way that the Nuclear Literacy Project has found to promote these nuclear energy facts is through a venture called Nuclear Tourism, which documents travelers’ visits to nuclear museums and historical sites through a series of online journal entries.

“The Diary of a Nuclear Tourist” is written by individuals who travel all over North America and Europe to visit these fascinating sites and spread the word about nuclear energy. The “tourists” write about their experiences and what they have learned, as well as post pictures of their visits. American Crane is proud to sponsor one of the tourists, Suzy Hobbs Baker, who is a nuclear energy advocate and the executive director of PopAtomic Studios. The goal of her adventures is to help others understand how nuclear technology works and how nuclear energy affects our daily lives. Suzy wishes to explore the reasons that some countries have embraced nuclear technology and others have dismissed it completely.